by Cam Lucadou-Wells
A glass ceiling is stopping politicians of migrant backgrounds from getting a “fair go”, says Yarraman Ward councillor-candidate Sam Afra.
An ALP member who has long stood up for ethnic communities, Afra says the political system is not working for migrants.
“Stop using ethnic communities as political footballs.
“We have a glass ceiling and it must be broken to allow migrants to sit on a higher level of position.
“Look at the profile of how many people from migrant backgrounds are on the front bench of Government. We’re not getting a fair go.”
Over the past 30 years, Afra has served as board member of Ethnic Communities Council of the South East (ECCOSE) and similar state and national bodies.
He’s also been a Casey councillor in 1997-’00, a founder of Casey North Information and Support Service and a community advisory chair for Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust.
He proudly remembers ECCOSE spearheading a successful two-year campaign during the Howard Government for refugees on temporary protection visa holders to gain permanent residency.
Remarkably, the then-Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone accepted their argument.
“I have a long history of advocating for the community with a mind for social justice.”
This by-election, he’s running as “genuine candidate” for a seat as a Greater Dandenong councillor out of his own funds.
Despite his raft of experience, he believes he has “very little chance” of winning against the heavily-favoured Phillip Danh.
On council, he would push for better community consultation, more transparent spending and less financial waste.
Afra also wants more activities with young people in schools, as well as stimulus for small businesses.
“If you do something about youth and more economic activities I believe the crime activity will be much smaller.
“If you see more crime happening, most of it is coming from younger people. If they have no hope and no life, they jump to the wrong side.”
